The President's wife, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, declined the White House's invitation to participate in US President Joe Biden's address to Congress this Thursday because they wanted her to sit next to Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's widow, Yulia. This was reported by UNN with reference to The Washington Post.
Details
"Olena Zelenska, Ukraine's first lady, declined an invitation from the White House to attend the State of the Union address on Thursday, turning down one of Washington's most dignified events and underscoring the complex politics facing her war-torn country," the newspaper writes.
It is noted that at the event, Olena Zelenska was supposed to be seated next to Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
"The presence of both women, each of whom is a symbol of resistance to Russian President Vladimir Putin, would be a powerful backdrop for President Biden's speech at a joint session of Congress," the sources note.
The newspaper notes that Navalnaya's potential presence has caused discomfort in Kyiv. While her late husband is widely hailed as an anti-corruption icon who risked his life to stand up to Putin, Navalny's legacy in Ukraine is tarnished by past claims that Crimea, which Putin annexed in 2014, belonged to Russia.
"A White House official said Zelenskaya's decision was likely due to 'scheduling conflicts' and referred further questions to Zelenskaya's office, which did not respond to a request for comment," the newspaper adds.
Navalny's wife, Yulia, also refused to participate in the event due to fatigue.
Olena Zelenska's team confirmed to Suspilne that the first lady had received an invitation to Biden's speech, but would not be able to attend the event due to "pre-planned events" in her schedule.
Recall
The wife of the President, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska met with Queen Consort Camilla, wife of Charles III, during her visit to the UK.